Actor Nana Patekar at the trailer launch of an upcoming Marathi film, at a Juhu hotel yesterday

Hall of mirrors

WE so don’t want to be in Sonam Kapoor’s shoes right now. Or wait a minute, maybe we do. The beautiful actor is gearing up for two weddings this summer: one her upcoming film ‘Veere Di Wedding’ that’s taken too long to finally go on the floors; and the other, ahem ahem, her own nuptials. Your diarist informed you just a couple of weeks ago that Sonam and her boyfriend of two years Anand Ahuja are set to marry this March. There has been neither a confirmation nor a denial from the lady’s team. But now we hear their original plan to marry in Jodhpur may not hold. It seems that all the couple and their families need to close in on is a venue for the wedding. The actor and her beau may just marry abroad. Will it be their favourite city (and Anand’s home), London? Or will they opt for a romantic destination a la Anushka Sharma- Virat Kohli? We doubt they know themselves.

Home away from home

ONE Mumbai’s glitziest hotels is turning into a mega party spot next week. Gayatri and Atul Ruia, who manage a Lower Parel five star and much of its adjoining mall complex, are hosting a lavish party to celebrate their anniversary on January 25. We hear the couple has taken over an entire floor of the hotel as their residence, and will be hosting a few hundred of their friends there. Their own Ruia House bungalow is under renovation, hence the towering move. That said, the soiree at the swanky hotel seems to be one that’s everyone is looking forward to.

Notes from the neighbours

PAKISTANI journalist Mehr Tarar gained recognition in India as minister and author Shashi Tharoor’s good friend, and even the bone of contention between him and his deceased wife Sunanda Pushkar. But now she seeks to be known for her writings. Tarar is releasing her first book next month. ‘Do We Not Bleed? Reflections of a 21st- Century Pakistani’, published by Aleph, is a about contemporary Pakistan. It profiles diverse Pakistanis — some of whom are internationally feted and many others who are relatively unknown — and has essays that examine Pakistani society.

“This book is a continuation of what I have written for years: my views on various issues. Highlighting the social and political issues of Pakistan that may be relevant to millions of people not just in my own country, but to countless folks of the neighbouring region is my way of bringing forth narratives that have common threads of humanity, understanding and empathy,” she tells us.

Tarar says she only wants the book to be accepted and understood in India. “Because of my four trips to India in 2015 and 2016, countless interactions with Indians via Twitter, and my frequent appearances on Indian primetime talk shows have made me a familiar face there — beyond my alleged “friendship” with Shashi Tharoor. Indians who read my articles and tweets know me as a genuine well-wisher of India, and as a passionate supporter of peace and building of a good relationship between Pakistan and its closest neighbour, India.”

National interests

AN exciting new exhibition opens on Tuesday, January 23, at Pundole’s art gallery at Ballard Estate, Mumbai. ‘Portrait of a Nation, A Nation in Portraits’ has been curated by Madhavan Pillai and designed by Abha Narain Lambah. It showcases 19th century photographs of the Indian subcontinent from the Sarmaya collection. The Sarmaya is a curated private collection that covers several genres, especially from India’s colonial history — like photographs, maps, coins, drawings and paintings. The photos bring together works of pioneers such as Samuel Bourne, known for his views of the Himalayas, Felice Beato, who documented the uprising of 1857, and Lala Deen Dayal, one of the first Indian photographers. It also includes coins issued by Mughal emperors and several works by leading artists of the period.

Tailpiece

DON’T believe their social media shenanigans. If you really want to know anything about the lives of stars, ask their staff. The domestic staff of a recently married female actor is apparently quite miffed with the memsahib. On the auspicious news of her wedding, the staff were given a bar of chocolate. Yes, you read that right. A bar of chocolate, not a hamper, or even a gift box. One solitary slab. With this bitter taste then, you can’t blame them for telling their friends and family who work at other star homes about their pecuniary plight.

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